Alien: Fate of the Nostromo and Trader Joe’s Reserve: Vinsobres

We’re back and asking; Is Alien Fate of the Nostromo good for two players and how do you actually pronounce “Vinsobres”?

For our tasting we’ve got Trader Joe’s Reserve: Vinsobres a French wine from the southern Rhone Valley. The Vinsobres region was given its own special AOC status in 2006, putting it on par with other notable areas like Chateauneuf-du-Pape. The wine is a blend of 52% Grenache and 48% Syrah. You can expect a spicy aroma with notes of dill, cinnamon, and clove, along with flavors of blackberry, black pepper, and licorice.

Alien: Fate of the Nostromo has been out since 2021, and has been sitting in our queue for a while. Made by Ravensburger this co-op game faces the ill fated team of the Nostromo against the Xenomorph, will the Alien win or will the crew survive?

Here’s the link to the “Directors Cut” rules that the game designer Scott Rogers put together on the Board Game Geek forums – Here’s the PDF and here’s a link to the forum THREAD. You can find out our thoughts on the ruleset in the show!

For our Last Call we’re taking a look at the new Bezier game “The Game Makers”! You want to know more about the game The Game Makers in a blog post style? Let’s dive into it.

Ever dreamed of building your own board game empire? The Game Makers lets you do just that! This game, from the designer of hits like Suburbia, is a love letter to the board gaming hobby. It’s a “meta” game where you become a board game manufacturer, racing against your opponents to create the greatest collection of games.

So, how does it work? You and the other players are represented by little forklifts (yes, forklifts!) that move around a central warehouse. On each turn, you’ll grab components to fulfill contracts and build real-world, licensed games. We’re talking about games you probably already have on your shelf, like Wingspan, Terraforming Mars, and Brass: Birmingham. It’s a really cool, nostalgic experience to “manufacture” your favorite games.

But it’s not just about collecting games. You’ll also be managing your own factory on your player board. You can use those same components you collect to upgrade your factory, unlock special abilities, and even boost your marketing tracks to score points. The game moves at a quick pace thanks to simultaneous play, so even with a larger group, you won’t be waiting long for your turn to come around.